2005 Holiday Gift Guide: Knives!

The one item we use most consistently while cooking (aside from a wine glass) is a chef's knife. Sure, we all have our favorite knife, but it's nice to have a couple on hand. So even if that gourmand on your list seems to have it all, perhaps they'll want another knife. Despite what we may counsel about buying too much "stuff," we cannot deny that other category of gifts: those that last a lifetime, those that are super-useful, and those that just make us drool....

For those who like a smooth, comfortable handle along with their razor sharp edge, Henckles's Four Star line is a great choice. Their 6-inch Chef Knife with the wide blade is a compact knife with a lot of stability. (Cutlery and More, 69.95).

For the modern cook, the Chroma Cook's Knives should dazzle. Their 8-inch Cook's Knife (Broadway Panhandler, $79.95) has a nice weight to it, and a very unusual look. Surprisingly, it is not as awkward to hold as it appears to be.

There are those who like a good old-fashioned, wooden-handled knife. For these traditionalists, get the Dexter Russel 8" Chef Knife (Broadway Panhandler, $77.95).

Finally, we all have fantasies of being a professional chef. Having the gear indulges us further. Why not have a restaurant-grade blade in the drawer? You know, they aren't slicing and dicing your dinner with Wusthof... the colorful Sanelli Cook's Knife (Broadway Panhandler, $24.95) is a bargain, and it's what you're more likely to see on the counter of a restaurant kitchen.

Sara Kate is the founding editor of The Kitchn. She co-founded the site in 2005 and has since written three cookbooks. She is most recently the co-author of The Kitchn Cookbook, to be published in October 2014 by Clarkson Potter.